Satan, an uninvited and obnoxious intruder, disturbed the peace in the Garden of Eden, ruining the agreeable relationship between God and mankind, represented by Adam and Eve. As a deceiver, accuser, and destroyer, he has caused unbelief, fear, distrust, hatred, and division ever since. God, as our Host, has prophesied in His Word that He will one day, for a time, throw this intruder out to restore peace to His fellowship with humanity. Satan remains a major cause of the present separation between God and man, and his binding after Christ's return will be a vital step toward the restitution of all things, facilitating harmony during the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ on earth. Originally a glorious cherub covering God's throne, Satan began with significant responsibilities, possibly governing the earth. His greed and desire to exalt himself over all led to thoughts of taking God's throne, fueled by vanity, selfishness, and pride. These sins embittered him until he planned a coup against heaven, recruiting other angels to his cause. Despite his efforts, God has declared that Satan's power will ultimately be broken, signaling his eventual end. Even now, Satan and his demons continue to deceive and tempt human beings, especially God's children, targeting them as they are destined to take over his throne with Jesus Christ. Though God remains faithful, Satan focuses on humanity, exploiting any doubt about their endurance. We must resist his daily, evil influences with strength and faith. Soon after Christ's return, God will break Satan's power over humanity for a thousand years, imprisoning him for most of the Millennium. During this time, the earth and its inhabitants will enjoy refreshing times without Satan's constant pressure to defy God, allowing a proper relationship between man and God to be restored. The confinement of Satan will be among the wonderful events following Christ's return, providing a profound reason to anticipate the coming of God's kingdom.

The apostle Peter warns us to be sober and vigilant because our adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Peter compares Satan to a lion due to the deceptive and predatory nature of this beast, which mirrors Satan's strategies and tactics. Like a wild lion that hunts under cover of darkness using natural camouflage, Satan, the great deceiver, often works invisibly, patiently stalking his prey with acute senses far sharper than ours. He sees us when we are unaware of his presence, always hunting for the weak, the ailing, and those who have fallen behind. Once he attacks, Satan causes great pain, pinning us down and wounding us before going for the kill. Thinking of Satan as a lion, quietly and invisibly stalking, reminds us to stay alert to avoid being maneuvered into a vulnerable position where he can leap out to maul us.

For generations, mankind has debated the existence of Satan, with many now believing he does not exist, a notion popularized by Bishop Fulton Sheen as Satan's greatest trick. National polls reflect this shift, showing a decline from 68 percent of Americans believing in Satan's existence in 2003 to 57 percent in 2013. Despite this, membership in organizations associated with Satan, such as the Satanic Temple and the Church of Satan, is rising, with the Satanic Temple gaining 50,000 members post-2016 election, totaling around 100,000, and the Church of Satan estimated at millions worldwide. Ironically, both organizations officially deny Satan's existence while invoking his name in rituals and portraying him as deserving of respect and admiration. Satan's image is also going mainstream, seen as admirable and cool in entertainment like the television show Lucifer, where he is depicted as attractive and intelligent, assisting the LA police department with compassion. Beyond entertainment, Satanists are socially active, with the Satanic Temple launching initiatives like the Protect Children Project in 2014 for legal assistance against corporal punishment in schools, and the After School Satan Clubs in 2016 to counter evangelical influence, focusing on free inquiry and rationalism. Satan's growing influence and cunning efforts to deny his existence while rehabilitating his reputation are evident as his presence becomes more prominent in society.

In the great spiritual battle, we are warned to be sober and alert, for our enemy, the adversary known as the devil, prowls like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. To counter his attacks effectively, we must understand his methods and schemes, though he, the deceiver, strives to remain hidden in his true nature and operations. We are not ignorant of his schemes, yet there is fear that, just as the serpent deceived Eve with craftiness, he might lead minds astray. Originally, he was known as Helel, the anointed cherub who covered the throne of God, established in perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Present in Eden, the garden of God, adorned with precious stones, he walked on the holy mountain of God until iniquity was found in him. His fall came from a heart filled with pride, declaring intent to ascend into heaven, to exalt his throne above the stars of God, to sit on the mount of the congregation, and to be like the Most High. Cast down from heaven, he was renamed to reflect his true character as an adversary. Now called Satan, meaning adversary, he stands as the opponent of God, believers, and all that is right and good. He may disguise himself as an angel of light, but this is merely a sham of deception to aid his work as the arch adversary. Also termed the devil, meaning slanderer or defamer, he is depicted as the great red dragon, highlighting the magnitude of his power, his murderous and bloodthirsty nature, and his ferocious cruelty, especially in his end-time character. As the serpent of old, his crafty character and constant activity of temptation and deception are evident. Known as the evil one, he embodies an active and malignant evil, contributing to the worsening of this present age through his presence and activity. He holds titles such as the prince of the power of the air, indicating his leadership over the demonic host operating continuously to fill the atmosphere with deception, doubts, and temptations. As the spirit working in the sons of disobedience, he energizes human spirits with attitudes, moods, and impulses contrary to God. Above all, he is the deceiver who continuously deceives the whole world through lies, denials, counterfeits, and perversions of the truth, employing many traps and tricks to lead people astray.

Satan, often accompanied by a vast army of demons, is a significant unseen influence behind many of man's troubles, not by forcing actions but through our ignorance or carelessness toward his deceptions. Human tendencies swing between blaming him for everything or ignoring his existence, yet his impact persists even after baptism and receiving God's Holy Spirit, potentially intensifying as he focuses more attention on believers. Many in the world are deceived into believing he does not exist, viewing him merely as a symbol of evil, but he is real and leads a huge army intent on destroying God's plan. Revelation 12 reveals a major battle in heaven where Satan and his angels were defeated and cast down to earth, the very place we inhabit, marking it as a place of restraint or prison for them. Described in terms of chains of darkness or a silo, this earth serves as their storage bin, where they are restrained awaiting judgment, sharing this space with us as intruders in their domain. Satan, originally named Helel, was a being of great beauty and wisdom, created by God as the sum of perfection until iniquity was found in him. Adorned with precious stones and full of power, he rebelled, desiring to be like the Most High, leading a campaign of deceit to separate many angels from God. His ambition to ascend into heaven and rule led to war against God, resulting in defeat and confinement to earth, a place of reduced liberty and restraint. In Luke 10, Jesus speaks of witnessing Satan fall like lightning from heaven to earth, where we now must confront him. The struggle against him and his demons is formidable, yet God's grace ensures we are not alone in this battle. Daniel 7 and Revelation 12 suggest that Satan drew one-third of the angels with him, indicating a vast number of demons—potentially millions—under his command, invisible and deeply knowledgeable of God's laws, making them dangerous adversaries not to be disregarded. Daniel 10 illustrates the intense spiritual conflicts involving Satan, possibly as the king of Persia, where even mighty angels like Gabriel faced resistance from him until aided by Michael. This shows his power, yet also the protection provided by ministering angels who stand between us and potential annihilation, often intervening without our awareness. Satan, also called the great dragon and Helel, is the king of demons, driven to retain authority over earth, knowing that believers are heirs of salvation destined to replace them in rulership. Despite their numbers and desperate efforts to thwart God's plan, demons are a kingdom divided against themselves, unable to unify due to their rebellious and competitive nature. Their leader, Satan, holds them in line through sheer force, not loyalty, ensuring their eventual fall, which is an advantage to us. In interactions with God, as seen in Job, Satan displays a cynical and deceitful nature, projecting his own motives onto others, believing no one is genuinely good and all are driven by selfish gain. His taunting, restless demeanor reveals him as an outsider, even when in God's presence, influencing human nature with cynicism and doubt, destructive traits that undermine relationships and faith. Though Satan is a chief mischief-maker, his power is limited by God, who sets boundaries on what he can do, as evident in Job's trials where God permitted testing but protected Job's life. We, too, face tests within the limits God allows, strengthened by faith in His goodness, not merely for His gifts. Victory over Satan is assured through Jesus Christ, who has already defeated him, living in us to provide strength if we remain obedient to God and stand firm against Satan's deceitful stratagems.

The first recorded sin in all of God's creation involved pride, as seen in Lucifer's downfall. Ezekiel 28:17 states that his heart was lifted up because of his beauty, corrupting his wisdom for the sake of his splendor. Pride blinded him to its own existence and to the impossibility of what he was attempting. God describes him as the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, yet his very gifts and strengths deceived him into misjudging his value in comparison to others. This pride set in motion a reaction to God that continues to this day. In him, we see how pride manifests in us, bringing contention with God, exalting us to break His commandments, deny clear scriptures, reject church leadership, strive for positions, and contend with brothers over trivial matters, disrupting unity and producing confusion and frustration.